Recently released on DVD, season three of this critically acclaimed TV show returns for another strong season. More than simply a show about high school football, Friday Night Lights is about friendships, family, love, loss, and growing up. Tami (Connie Britton) is the new principal at Dillon High, where her husband Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) is head coach of the football team, the Dillon Panthers. Britton and Chandler's chemistry is wonderful to watch. For me, Tami and Eric Taylor sit alongside Pam and Jim from The Office and Lily and Marshall from How I Met Your Mother as the best couples on TV.

Some of the other storylines from this season:
Matt's (Zach Gilford) position as starting quarterback seems to be threatened when a new quarterback, freshman J.D. McCoy (Jeremy Sumpter), joins the team. Tyra (Adrianne Palicki) applies to college and falls for a rodeo cowboy. Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) also makes the effort to apply to college with some support from his girlfriend Lila Garrity (Minka Kelly). Landry (Jesse Plemons) appears to be looking for love in all the wrong places. Landry has evolved since season one of this show, and this change is most evident in season three. Quite possibly the nicest guy ever, he is at once hilarious and charming. Plus, he's in a pretty rockin' band.

During the course of the season we say goodbye to graduated players Smash Williams (Gaius Charles) and Jason Street (Scott Porter). I think the moments between Coach Taylor and Smash in the episodes "How the Other Half Live" and "Hello, Goodbye" are some of the most powerful of the season. If you can watch this show without crying just a little you are way stronger than I am.

The end of the season provides plenty of emotional moments (in addition to football action), as Tyra's sister Mindy marries Billy Riggins, Tyra awaits her college acceptance letters, and Matt's grandma and Julie (Aimee Teegarden) prepare for him to leave for college in Chicago. Without giving anything away, the end of season three leaves several characters contemplating some big changes in their lives. Season four, like this season, will first air on DirecTV in the fall and then air on NBC during the winter. If you have not given this show a chance, take advantage of the library's collection and check out this show starting with season one, because Friday Night Lights was recently renewed for another two seasons!

Thursday night we had 36 people attend our free showing of The Tale of Despereaux. Thank you to everyone who came to see the movie! We have two more movies to show coming up in July.

Inkheart
Thursday, July 16 at 6 PM
Doors open at 5:30 PM
Rated PG
106 minutesHotel for Dogs
Saturday, July 18 at 2 PM
Doors open at 1:30 PM
Rated PG
100 minutes
Tickets will be available July 1 at the Media Desk. On the day of the show be sure to arrive a few minutes early so you can get a drink and popcorn before you sit down!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that it will nominate 10 films for Best Picture next year. It has been speculated that this decision was due to lack of nominations for movies that don't fit the stereotype. Hopefully, this will open the field to more "unusual" nominees (which, ironically, might mean some more mainstream movies).

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Noble Beast by Andrew Bird: The one word that comes to mind when I think of this album is "pretty." Now, just hear me out. Sometimes what makes an album good are the lyrics, and sometimes it is the overall sound and arrangement. (Sometimes both-- then you know you're on to something really good.) In this case, for me, it is the gorgeous sounds Bird creates throughout the disc; he plays the violin and whistles on several tracks. A couple of my favorites include "Fitz and Dizzyspells" and "Anonanimal." See if you agree.

I had never heard of Zac Brown before, but I love this band. The favorite song is "Chicken Fried." Zac is a Georgia boy and proud of it. It is what he is about. Last night, at the 2009 CMT Music Awards, the Zac Brown Band took home the "USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year" Award for "Chicken Fried." Try it...you might like them too!

This month the Media department is highlighting the work of beloved American actor Humphrey Bogart.

Perhaps best remembered as night-club owner Rick Blaine in the 1942 classic Casablanca or as the quintessential hard-boiled private eye in 1941's The Maltese Falcon, Bogart turned out a remarkable number of engaging performances throughout his Hollywood tenure.

For this viewer's money, it doesn't get any better than the 1950 crime drama In a Lonely Place. Directed by Nicholas Ray (Rebel Without a Cause), the film follows the doomed romance of screen-writer Dixon Steele and aspiring starlet Laurel Gray (exquisitely acted by the often underrated Gloria Grahame). Bogart's take on the disillusioned Dixon Steele is perhaps the most harrowing, and genuinely disturbing, performance of his career.

Follow the links below to find these and other Bogey titles in our online catalog: